re-charging a big power station while driving

[DarrenPerina440]

Hi all, looking for some help. I truck camp off the grid and I'm looking for a way (other than solar) to re-charge my Dakota Lithium power station while I'm driving.

My set up & needs -

2020Ford F250 (diesel)
Dakota Lithium PS2400 Power Station w/ DL 180W folding solar panel

PS2400 Portable Power Station

Portable power station for power outage protection, backup power during emergencies, and mobile power for job sites, working remotely, and off-grid camping.

dakotalithium.com

I need to continually push an ARB Zero 47qt fridge, charge 2 E-bikes almost daily and charge small devices like phones and small LED lights.
My current set-up works for about 2 days, but I don't get enough out of the solar (nowhere near what DL advertised) to re-charge the power station but like I said, I can get by for a couple days. Once back on the road I can re-charge the power station from the cigarette lighter socket but it's not getting enough power to recharge enough (while still running the fridge).
The truck has a factory inverter but it's really weak(400w) and it won't push it.

I'm thinking a better inverter like the one in the link below but I'm just curious what other people are doing to re-charge these large portable power stations these days.....

2000W Inverter,Campervan Inverter,240V Inverter 12V|Renogy UK

The 2000W inverter is capable of producing cleaner and smoother electricity to operate tools, fans, lights, and other electronics without interference.

uk.renogy.com

Or would i be better off going DC to DC?

I apologize if this has been addressed here in the past.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Solar input 800W, 12-75v. I'm sure there is an associated amp limit they didnt put in specs.
1. Dc to dc, get a CONVERTER, run it off alternator, go to 70V, run 2x 8AWG wires back to the power station solar input. 11A about.Place converter near alternator to minimize large cables.
2. Or, inverter. Place inverter near alternator to minimize large cables. Run same 8awg wires for 120v 12.5A 1500W supply to power station. However... 12v at 1500W is 125A, your alternator can't do that without burning up.

You need to assess what your alternator can supply, the 400W existing inverter may be it.

Read my threads on this. Here is a summary one with vids

Tune M1 Camper on Tacoma OffRoad 4x4 2021

[IMG] This is a thread to centralize my tweaks work on 2021 Tacoma OffRoad 6ft bed, with a Tune M1 popup Camper. Hard to find right spot for bed prep...

www.tacomaworld.com

 

[fratermus]

I'm thinking a better inverter like the one in the link below but I'm just curious what other people are doing to re-charge these large portable power stations these days.....

starter battery -> inverter -> wall adapter -> power station like you describe is a fairly common workaround for the issue.

As Dave points out having a 1500w wall charger does not guarantee your alternator will be happy to provide another 1500w (plus inverter losses).

I don't get enough out of the solar (nowhere near what DL advertised)

180w of solar lying flat in the Brentwood area would average:

Solar wattage 180
Month Daily Wh Avg
Jan 340
Feb 540
Mar 741
Apr 942
May 1132
Jun 1294
Jul 1268
Aug 1135
Sep 923
Oct 681
Nov 427
Dec 317
Average 812

The above projection based on PVwatts

 

[Buddha.]

Solar input 800W, 12-75v. I'm sure there is an associated amp limit they didnt put in specs.
1. Dc to dc, get a CONVERTER, run it off alternator, go to 70V, run 2x 8AWG wires back to the power station solar input. 11A about.Place converter near alternator to minimize large cables.
2. Or, inverter. Place inverter near alternator to minimize large cables. Run same 8awg wires for 120v 12.5A 1500W supply to power station. However... 12v at 1500W is 125A, your alternator can't do that without burning up.

You need to assess what your alternator can supply, the 400W existing inverter may be it.

Read my threads on this. Here is a summary one with vids

Tune M1 Camper on Tacoma OffRoad 4x4 2021

[IMG] This is a thread to centralize my tweaks work on 2021 Tacoma OffRoad 6ft bed, with a Tune M1 popup Camper. Hard to find right spot for bed prep...

www.tacomaworld.com

Can you recommend any such converters that can live under the hood?

 

[Dave in AZ]

Can you recommend any such converters that can live under the hood?

I was going to say victron, but looking at their site they don't have such a thing. Most their 12v converters go is 24v.

 

[TwinStick]

Personally, I would not put anything under the hood unless absolutely necessary. Heat is the #1 reason electrical things fail. Had a friend who went through a battery isolator every year.

Things I did in the past are not an option yet, that I know of. 2 trucks ago, I bought a 370 amp alternator, ran 2/0 1250 strand welding cable to aux battery and 2000/4000 watt modified sine wave inverter. I also had buss bars and fuses and a resetable circuit breaker. We ran an air compressor when needed and our 700w microwave. Never had any issues.

Now, we have a 23' Colorado ZR2. I haven't got into it yet. But we now have a 2000/4000 pure sine wave inverter and all the stuff from past trucks. Gotta come up with a game plan. I definitely want the inverter in bed but have to save up for a canopy camper first.

Now that I am 61, I gotta say that I noticed a big drop in my motivation-****.
Red Arc seems to be the ticket for electric systems in vehicles. Not cheap but neither is the vehicle. I have seen somebody's dream go up and burn to the ground. I made a mental note: not to be that guy, lol.

These new super high output batteries burn unbelievably hot. I'm sticking with what I have been using. But I have also given thought to Bluetti products. I could use inverter to charge it while driving down the road. Lots to ponder.

Good luck with your project.

 

[emulous74]

this is what i did/used to power my ecoflow station thanks to tinkerers adventure:

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

In my truck camper, I have 300w solar, and the 4awg wire from the truck through an Anderson connector and a victron 12/12 30 DC/DC. It keeps my 200amp/hr lithium charged all the time. Its not even on the truck and my fridge has not been turned off since I installed it a few years ago.


Separate solar charger and DC/DC will both provide a charge at the same time. example, 30 amps from solar, and 30 from DC/DC when my truck is running.


I know my brother has installed and designed multiple systems for this for clients.


A system like the red arc, is maxed out at 30amps/ regardless of how much solar and dc power you have coming in. And if anything in it fails, the entire system is down.

 

[TwinStick]

I would look into the Bluetti. The reason I say that is I think I read that 1 model is capable of charging from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes and IIRC, is capable of 1200 watts solar and 120v simultaneously, which is why it can go from 0 to 80% so quickly.

That's the thing about power stations, they are constantly upgrading them every year and the older ones lose their value pretty quickly. I am leaning towards the Bluetti because you can add on batteries if you need more power or more reserve.

Personally, I like options, even if you initially think you wouldn't use it, you may change your mind down the road. I did like the 2 wireless phone chargers they used to have on the top of the 1 unit.

 

[Dave in AZ]

would look into the Bluetti. The reason I say that is I think I read that 1 model is capable of charging from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes and IIRC, is capable of 1200 watts solar and 120v simultaneously, which is why it can go from 0 to 80% so quickly.

The OP stated he wanted to charge faster while driving. That means solar and dcdc, NOT 120v ac charging. Your Bluetti suggestion for him is bad guidance, that fast charging is for a guy sitting at home plugged into his living room...

 

[HWY395ghost]

I run a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A (360W) non-isolated DC-DC charger and high output alternator in my van to feed smart Li's while driving. I can run a Nomadic 12k BTU air conditioner off the Li's and keep them fully charged. The Victron lives inside the van.

 

[One shot]

Battle Born Batteries has info and configurations for that in their website.

RV Battery Power Systems | Battle Born Batteries

Battle Born has the batteries, components, and knowledge to help you upgrade your RV's battery power system to lithium.

battlebornbatteries.com

 

[Aifer]

I run a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A (360W) non-isolated DC-DC charger and high output alternator in my van to feed smart Li's while driving. I can run a Nomadic 12k BTU air conditioner off the Li's and keep them fully charged. The Victron lives inside the van.

Hi,
I have a question about this Victron setting.
1) can you set the Victron to kick in only on certain voltage input? For example; when input voltage is above 13V start the conversion to higher voltage. When the engine is running and the alternator raise the voltage kick in. Engine shut off kick out.
2) can you set the Victron unit to different voltage outputs , not just the max voltage? For example, 24V?
3) can you set the Victron unit to limit the Amp draw, for example 20A or you do it by lowering the voltage (item 2 above)?

4) how hot is the Victron unit go when in full output capacity?


Many thanks
Aifer

Sent from my IN2013 using Tapatalk

 

[Dave in AZ]

Hi,
I have a question about this Victron setting.
1) can you set the Victron to kick in only on certain voltage input? For example; when input voltage is above 13V start the conversion to higher voltage. When the engine is running and the alternator raise the voltage kick in. Engine shut off kick out.
2) can you set the Victron unit to different voltage outputs , not just the max voltage? For example, 24V?
3) can you set the Victron unit to limit the Amp draw, for example 20A or you do it by lowering the voltage (item 2 above)?

4) how hot is the Victron unit go when in full output capacity?


Many thanks
Aifer

Sent from my IN2013 using Tapatalk

Here, download and read the spec sheet for Victron dc dc chargers.

Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC Charger Isolated | Victron Energy

The Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger is an adaptive 3-stage charger (bulk – absorption – float) designed for dual battery systems, such as in vehicles or on boats where the starter battery (hence the alternator) is used to charge the service battery. The name "Smart" comes from its built-in...

www.victronenergy.com

1. Yes the victron automatically can turn on or off depending on if car and alternator is on or off. This is a more elegant and better system than using the sensed voltage to turn on off, that is a cheap workaround for smart alternators.
2. This is a 12v to 12v charger, not a voltage booster. They also have those, but the purpose of these is to charge a 12v lithium system from your 12v alternator, while dealing with smart alternator on/off and voltage changes, isolating the two systems, keeping voltage spikes from happening as lithium batteries shut off so you don't burn out delicate car electronics. It is a dc to dc charger. You can tweak input output voltages, read spec sheet I linked to.
3. No, the 12 12 30 doesnt allow amp changes. HOWEVER, the new and better 12 12 50 XS DOES. It also runs 98% efficient and much cooler. But they are hard to get yet.
4. HOT. everything like this gets hot. The new one 12 12 50 xs is much cooler. But victron is reliable and #1 in the market for a reason.

 

[HWY395ghost]

Here, download and read the spec sheet for Victron dc dc chargers.

Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC Charger Isolated | Victron Energy

The Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger is an adaptive 3-stage charger (bulk – absorption – float) designed for dual battery systems, such as in vehicles or on boats where the starter battery (hence the alternator) is used to charge the service battery. The name "Smart" comes from its built-in...

www.victronenergy.com

1. Yes the victron automatically can turn on or off depending on if car and alternator is on or off. This is a more elegant and better system than using the sensed voltage to turn on off, that is a cheap workaround for smart alternators.
2. This is a 12v to 12v charger, not a voltage booster. They also have those, but the purpose of these is to charge a 12v lithium system from your 12v alternator, while dealing with smart alternator on/off and voltage changes, isolating the two systems, keeping voltage spikes from happening as lithium batteries shut off so you don't burn out delicate car electronics. It is a dc to dc charger. You can tweak input output voltages, read spec sheet I linked to.
3. No, the 12 12 30 doesnt allow amp changes. HOWEVER, the new and better 12 12 50 XS DOES. It also runs 98% efficient and much cooler. But they are hard to get yet.
4. HOT. everything like this gets hot. The new one 12 12 50 xs is much cooler. But victron is reliable and #1 in the market for a reason.

I was just about to reply. You beat me to it!